Photos: Bioluminescent Waters Appear Off The Coast Of San Diego

Bioluminescence is currenty lighting up the shores of San Diego and it is absolutely stunning.

A red tide offshore San Diego is bringing a spectacular display of #bioluminescence to beaches at night, as captured in this photo by John H. Moore. Scripps scientist Michael Latz said the red tide is due to massive numbers of dinoflagellates including Lingulodinium polyedra. 🌊 pic.twitter.com/JnSlXGBuEs

A red tide is responsible for bringing the bioluminescence and according to Michael Latz, a scientist at Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego, said the red tide is due to aggregations of dinoflagellates and when mixed with waves or movement, it causes the phytoplankton to glow neon a night.

Red tides are unpredictable and not all of them produce bioluminescence. Scientists do not know how long the current red tide will last, as previous events have lasted anywhere from one week to a month or more. Bioluminescent displays are viewed best from a dark beach at least two hours after sunset. If you want to check it out, the best spots appear to be between La Jolla and Encinitas.